Waiting to Fall
by A. X. Zanier
Summary: Ficette A short interlude following Enemy of my Enemy


Title: Waiting to Fall  
Author: A. X. Zanier  
Rating: PG-13  
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or basic story premises to "The Invisible Man."  
Spoilers: BK, Possessed, EomE 1&2(The New Stuff)  
Timeline: Immediately follows the event of EomE 1  
Comments: This is filler between EomE 1&2 and contains speculation on Part 2 based on the various  
teasers I've seen.  
  
  
Waiting to Fall  
  
// "It always looks the darkest just before the dawn." Well, from where I was sitting that  
darkness was pretty damn thick, and dawn... well, that was something I was beginning to realize I  
was never going to see. //  
  
  
"Well, I hope you're proud of yourself now." Darien lifted his head to glare at the tombstone just  
a few short feet in front of him. "Your precious creation, your precious gland, is gonna kill me.  
Gonna drive me right off the deep end into permanent madness, and the Fat Man is gonna have himself  
a harvesting party." He lifted the beer bottle to his lips and let the last of the golden liquid  
slide down his throat.  
  
He stared at the grass between his knees for several long, silent minutes before raising his head.  
Anger was etched upon his face -- anger and fear. With a sudden movement, he flung the bottle away  
to shatter upon the cold, dark granite before him. Those last few unreachable drops of the brew  
burst into foam upon impact, before settling and running down in droplets that looked like tears in  
the weak moonlight.  
  
"Why, Kev? Why didn't you do what I asked and get it out of me? You should have known the risks of  
a tolerance, since you were always the smart one, the good one, the bright rising star on the  
Fawkes family tree." His tone had gone cold. Memories of the past so recently renewed, his few  
short talks with Father Tom and the small revelations the priest had let drop about Kevin's own  
fears and concerns, his swiftly increasing fear of going mad, of losing his hold on what little  
life he still had, all mixing together into a cold lump that had settled upon his heart. "I was  
always the screw-up, the one that was never living up to his potential, the one who could do so  
much more with his life. Well, look at me now! I'm a freak. And the little I still have to live for  
is about to be taken away from me." His lips curled into a parody of a smile. "But, on the bright  
side, we'll get to be roomies again. If the fat bastard even bothers to give me a decent burial,  
that is."  
  
Anger surged into prominence again, and he didn't bother to fight it. "I blame you, Kevin. You  
promised, just a few weeks and I'd be free to go on with my life. You lied. You and your  
high-handed way of trying to fix my life. It was my life, god damn it, and you had no right to try  
and change it."  
  
He pushed himself to his feet, needing to release the feelings of anger, betrayal, and fear with  
more than just words. "You promised Mom you'd always take care of me. Well, where the hell are you  
now? When I need you the most." Going to the headstone, he found the release his body was  
demanding as he began to shove and kick the headstone with every bit of energy he could muster.  
Within minutes, he had loosened it from the earth's grip. He shoved it over to land with a solid  
thud that caused small bits of dead grass and leaves to launch themselves into the air for a moment  
before settling slowly back to the ground. As they did, Darien's anger seemed to drain away and the  
sudden realization of what he'd done sank deep into his soul.  
  
"Ah, crap." He sank to his knees, fighting the need to cry. "I don't want to die, Kev. I just  
kinda figured out where I belong, ya know?" He laughed harshly. "So of course it'll be taken away.  
Just like everything else I ever gave a damn about.  
  
"You know, I'd really hate you if I didn't miss you so damn much." Settling deeper onto the ground,  
he sighed and reached out to brush away a leaf that had settled upon the headstone. He caught sight  
of the snake curled up on his wrist and did a double take. Bringing his wrist closer so that he  
could see it better in the dim light, he looked again. For an instant his heart seemed to stop, and  
the world grew darker about him until he remembered to breathe again. The world returned with a rush.  
  
The tattoo was full red, but -- and here's where his confusion lay -- he was not in the throes of  
quicksilver madness. Hadn't even had a headache once Claire had given him his shot of counteragent.  
Climbing slowly and a bit unsteadily to his feet, he stared at his wrist, the eye of the snake  
seeming to glow in the moonlight.  
  
"What the f-- ?"  
  
Finis 


End file.
